Originally Posted by ragtoplvr
Have been using harbor freight cords with 20%off coupon have been happy.
Do check china cords with magnet. Occasionally they use copper plated steel. I have not had one in a few years now.
Rod
Magnet won't tell you if it's the more common issue, copper plated aluminum. Those can be used in fixed positions if you use a larger, lower gauge # to carry the same current, but really shouldn't be moved around much especially in low temperatures. I won't buy a cord that doesn't state all copper, and wouldn't trust that statement from a random generic on ebay or Amazon.
Even if the Harbor Freight cords are all copper I would still have concerns about the ends and insulation quality. Most cords I've retired over the years were due to insulation cracking, especially if stored where any sunlight (UV) could get to them... need not be direct sunlight to make a low grade vinyl cord brittle.
One thing to consider with grounded cords vs two wire cords is that the two wire often don't have an additional insulation layer over those two wires. Like Cu clad aluminum, they are best left stationary. Lacking an outer insulation is not a rule, but often the two wire cords are only two to make them less expensive and lacking outer insulation does this.
Keep in mind that wire is a commodity. If you find a cord much cheaper than the competition, there's usually a reason for that. At the same time if you buy some marketing by a fancy brand you can pay too much for that.
I'd at least get a 100', 12ga cord. The length and little extra current capacity over higher gauges will make it the most usable for various things. Add additional cords of different lengths and gauges as needed.
For your fridge and microwave, I'd get the shortest cord you can get away with then choose gauge based on length. Those are not low current appliances. There are plenty of guides out there for what gauge you need for a specific load and length.